John dix mills



(No Model.)

J. D. MILLS. PENCIL SHARPBNER.

Patented Mar, 24

,lili UH\ HIMNO/nvm ing removed.

-NITED STATES PATENT Ormea,

JOHN DIX MILLS, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE C.

MCDERMOTT, OF SAME PLACE.

PENCIL-SHARPEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,723, dated March 24, 1891. Application filed December S, 1890. Serial No. 373.925. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN DIX MILLS, of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pencil-Sharpeners; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of pencil-Sharpeners in which the pencil is held in a rotating chuck and presented to a rotary abrading-surface at the proper angle to give the correct taper to the pencil-point, the object of the* invention being to provide a simple machine capable of being operated by any one to sharpen pencils of any style or size, a further obJect being to confine the dust within the Sharpenercasing and to provide an abrading-surface capable of being easily and quickly renewed at small cost. p

rllie invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts to be hereinafter described, and pointed out particularly in the appended claims. U n

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a Sharpener constructed in accordance with my invention. F1g..2 is a front elevation with the front of the caslooking toward thefront. Fig.. 4 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3 and the abradingivheel. Fig. 5 is a section through the chuck for holding the pencil. Fig. 6 is a section through the chuck at right angles to Fig. 5.

bimilar letters of reference in the-several ligures indicate the same parts. Y

The casing of the instrument preferably consists of front and back plates A B, respectively, held together by bolts a and clamping between them the sheet-metal side casing C, the latter having a mica-covered opening c in the top, through which the pencil being sharpened may be inspected, as will hereinafter more fully appear. The upper portion of the casing, it will be observed, is substan- Fig. 3 is a detail elevationv tially circular, and at the center of the same is journaled the abrading-wheel D, the abrading-surface thereof being inclined, giving the wheel the appearance of the frustum of a cone, although it is obvious that the surface may be of any shape to conform to the shape of the pencil-pointdesired. .Below the abrading-Wheel and meshing with a small pinion or gearwheel e is alarge drive gear-wheel E, rotated by a crank E', applied to the shaft of wheel E in front of the casing.

The pencil is inserted through an opening a in front of the casing and passes through a chuck F, by which it is held substantially parallel with the axis of the abrading-wheel and rotated in any suitable manner, preferably, however, by mechanical means to be now described.

In the preferred form the chuck consists of a casing F, jouinaled in bearings formed substantially parallel with the axis of the abrading-wheel in a swinging frame G, pivoted to the front of the casing, which frame is formed in two parts to permit the removal of the chuck, and held together by a bolt g. Lateral movements of the two parts with relation to each other is prevented by the lugs g', as shown. Vithin the chuck-casing are held spring pressed holding jaws, preferably formed by four pieces of metal inserted through a central opening in an elastic disk f', and having the ends bent back and clamped into the disk, the .tapering opening between thef jaws being smaller than the smallest pencil the machine is designed to operate upon, but capable of being enlarged by the insertion of larger pencils, the elastic disk serving to press the jaws in to grasp the pencil. The disk is entirely inclosed within the chuckcasing and held from rotating independently thereof by lugs or screws f2.

The opening a and chuck are arranged on the center line of the device above the abrading-wheel and immediately beneath the sightopening o. On the side of the wheel opposite the pivot of the chuck-frame is pivoted a frame. h, carrying a chuck drive-wheel provided with a grooved portion H, adapted to communicate motion to the chuck through the medium of an elastic band I. The other ion portion of the chuck drive-wheel consists of a comparatively broad rim having an elastic surface of rubber or equivalent h', adapted to rest and be driven by friction from the rim D of the abrading-wheel. Thus it will be seen that the pencil held Within the chuck and the chuck drive-wheel are held against the abrading-wheel by the action of the single elastic belt I, and the pencil is held with such a light yielding touch and the motion imparted thereto is so gentle (the mechanism yielding when any unusual st-rain comes upon it) that it is possible to give the pencil an exceedingly fine point with a pleasing taper.

It will be noted that the direction of rotation of the pencil-chuck is opposite to that of the abrading-wheel; and hence the surfaces of the pencil being acted upon and the abrading-surface move in the same direction, but at very different speeds, the pencil-surface being moved comparatively slow; but at the same time the relative movements are such as that there is little or no liability of the tine point of the lead catching and breaking` ott, as there would bc if the surfaces traveled in opposite directions.

The abrading-wheel is preferablycast metal, and the abrading-surface is formed of corundum ground flint or emery applied thereto by iirst coating the wheel with glue, and then covering the same with the granulated material. Thus the surface may be quickly and easily renewed by the user at any time.

For the purpose of varying the pressure of the chuck drive-wheel against the rim of the' abrading-whecl, as well as the pressure of the pencil on the abrading-surface, the position et' the pivotal points of the frames carrying the same may be varied. The chuck-drivewheel frame, for instance, may be located on the pivot a4. In order to prevent the Wearing away of the pencil after the proper point has been given to it, the frame carrying the chuck is adapted to come in contact with the rim on the abrading-wheel or other suitable stop at the proper moment, as will be readily understood.

With a pencil-sharpener of the character specified it is entirely practical to sharpen pencils of any grade at a rapid rate, it being necessary to but insert the pencil the proper distance to a gage T, or the distance may be readily determined by looking through the si ght-openi n g, then turning the crank in either direction. The dust and dirt are kept entirely within the casing and caught in a removable drawer or receptacle M at the bottom, which may be removed and emptied as Often as necessary.

It will be noted. that the frames carrying the chuck and chuck drive-wheel are pivoted to swing at right angles tothe axis of the abradingavheel, while the chuck and drive wheel-S are journaled in bearings substantially parallel with said axis, which arrangement, besides aiding materially in the successful operation of the device, forms a most compact and simn ple arrangement, easily and cheaply constructed and not liable to become disarranged by rough usage.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- I. In a pencil-Sharpener, the combination, with the truste-conical abrading-wheel, of the rotary chuck mounted to rotate in movable bearings substantially parallel with the axis of the abrading-wheel, substantially as described.

2. In a pencil-Sharpener, the combination, with the truste-conical abrading-wheel, of the chuck-frame pivoted to swing toward and away from said wheel and the chuck mounted to rotate in bearings in said fr ame substantially parallel with the axis of the abradingwheel, substantially as described.

3. In a pencil-Sharpener, the combination, with the rotary abrading-wheel, of the chuckframe pivoted to swing in a plane at right angles to the axis of the wheel and the chuck journaled in bearings in said frame substantially parallel with the said axis, substantially as described.

4. In a pencil-Sharpener, the combination, with the rotary abradingnwheel, the pivoted chuck-frame, and chuck, of the chuck drivewheel in frictional contact with the abradingwheel, and the elastic band connecting said drive-wheel and chuck, substantially as described.

5. In a pencil-Sharpener, the combination, with the rotary abrading-wheel, the pivoted chuck-frame, and chuck, of the pivoted chuck drive-Wheel frame and drive-wheel journaled thereon and engagingthe abracling-\vlieel,and the elastic belt connecting the chuck drivewheel and chuck, substantially as described.

6. In a pencil-sharpener, the combination, with the rotary abrading-wheel, the pivoted chuck-frame, and chuck,of the pivoted chuck Y drive-wheel frame and drive-wheel journaled therein, having the elastic surface making frictional contact with the abrading-wheel, and the elastic belt connecting the chuck drive-wheel and chuck, substantially as described.

7. In a pencilsharpener, the combination, with the rotary abrading-wheel having the forwardly-extending flange and the chuck, of the chuck drive-wheel engaging said flange and the band connecting said drive-wheel and chuck, substantially as described.

8. In a pencil-sharpener, the combination, with the rotary abrading-wheel having the forwardly-extending flange and the chuck mounted in a pivoted frame, of the pivoted chuck drive-Wheel frame, the drive-wheel journaled therein and resting on the flange on the abrading-wheel, and the elastic band uniting said drive-wheel and chuck, substantially as described.

9. In a pencil-Sharpener, the combination, with the truste-conical abrading-wheel having the forwardly-extending fiange, the pivoted chuck-frame, and chuck journaled therein in.

IOO

IIO

bearings substantially parallel with the axis of the abrading-Wheel, of the pivoted chuck drive-Wheel frame, the drive-Wheel j ournaled therein and resting on the ange on the abrading-wheel, and the elastic belt connecting the said drive-Wheel and chuck, substantially as described.

. 10. In a pencil-Sharpener, the combination, with the rotary abrading-Wheel, of the chuck journaled n bearings substantially parallel with the axis of the abrading-Wheel and rotated in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said Wheel, whereby the surface of the pencil being acted upon and the surface of the abrading-wheel will move in the saine direction, substantially as described.

11. In a chuck for pencil-Sharpeners, the combination, with the elast-ic disk, of the holding-jaws secured thereon, substantially as described.

12. In a chuck for pencil-sharpeners, the combination, with the elastic disk, of the holding-jaws consisting of the metallic pieces inserted in an opening in the disk and having their ends turned in to grasp the disk, substantially as described.

JOHN DIX MILLS.

VVtnesses:

THEO. W. MEADER, LIPMAN LEVY. 

